When automated grinding machines are to be used to grind workpieces of which the faces to be ground extend approximately parallel to one another and to a primary longitudinal direction of the workpiece, as for instance is the case with scissors parts, knives and the like, then the fundamental problem arises that a different grinding machine is necessary for each face to be ground, since the faces to be ground are all different and since various clamping devices are needed in each case for retaining the workpiece, depending on which face is to be ground. The guidance along the grinding wheel of the workpiece socket that holds a workpiece is effected via copying control devices (see examined German Patent Application DE-AS 12 35 767). The basic problem that still arises here is that on scissors parts, for instance, not only curved or contoured edges, but skewed surfaces as well, must be ground.
From German Patent 501 264, a polishing device for cutlery is known, wherein a rotatable wheel is provided that has numerous sockets for attaching the pieces of cutlery to be polished. These sockets are pivotably disposed on the wheel and are spring loaded, so that upon a rotation of the wheel, the individual pieces of cutlery are pressed against the polishing wheel with their particular face to be polished at that time.
From U.S. Pat. No. 1,909,033, a scissors grinding apparatus is known in which the blade of a scissors is automatically moved past a grinding wheel. A slide is movable on a shaft that is parallel to the grinding wheel axis; the slide has an upper clamp into which the scissors part is clamped. The scissors part clamped in this way is moved past the outer circumference of the grinding wheel, and by this means its cutting edge is ground.
From German Patent Disclosure Document DE-OS 30 05 606, a numerically controlled grinding machine is known for profile grinding of workpieces, in particular for grinding the roots of turbine blades. This grinding machine has a workpiece socket that is displaceable on a compound slide in the X and Y direction. The workpiece socket is also pivotable about an axis that is located parallel to the X-Y plane, and also parallel to the axis of rotation of the grinding wheels. The grinding wheels themselves grind in the circumferential direction. The machine is designed for so-called pendulum grinding; that is, the grinding wheels, which are likewise movable with their axes toward and away from one another, are positioned during the grinding operation in which the workpiece swings back and forth about its axis.